Charcoal lighter



W. H. NICHOLS CHARCOAL LIGHTER May 8, 1962 Filed Aug. 31

WHLLHCE H. N/c HqL BY United States Patent 3,033,275 CHARCOAL LIGHTER Wallace H. Nichols, 2568 Dysart Road, University Heights, Ohio Filed Aug. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 53,207 1 Claim. (Cl. 158-10) This invention relates to improvements in a lighter, and more particularly to a charcoal lighter for a portable grill.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a charcoal lighter having one or more fluid fuel nozzles directing a flame into a charcoal pile in a charcoal igniting position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal lighter wherein said nozzle is constructed to produce a yellow flame by restricting the air thereto so that secondary combustion will occur within the charcoal bed or pile.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal lighter having a plurality of fuel burning nozzles located around and directed into a charcoal pile in a given position and adapted to be rotated about a vertical axis to a new position so as to ignite different areas in the charcoal pile for completely igniting the charcoal.

.A further object of the present invention is to provide a charcoal lighter characterized by its structural simplicity, inexpensive manufacturing cost, ease of assembly of its component parts, and ease of use.

Other features of this invention reside in the arrangement and design of the parts for carrying out their appropriate functions.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings: I

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the charcoal lighter in charcoal igniting position over a bed of charcoal on a portable outdoor grill with the nozzles thereof being supplied by a fluid fuel source;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the charcoal lighter; while FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the hood of the charcoal lighter with a portion of the fuel conduit and nozzle shown in section.

Before the charcoal lighter here illustrated and disclosed is specifically described, it is to be understood that the invention here involved is not limited to the structnral details or arrangement of parts here disclosed since an article embodying the present invention may take various forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for purposes of description and not of limitation since the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claim.

A lighter may be used for any suitable purpose but is disclosed herein as a charcoal lighter 10 especially adapted to quickly and completely ignite charcoal 17 in a portable outdoor grill 12. Grill '12 may be of any suitable construction, such as grill 12 having a plurality of legs 13, some having a wheel 14 secured to its lower end and each having its upper end secured to the lower end of a metal pan 15 adapted to contain charcoal 17 on a sand or gravel bed 18. Fan 15 has a spindle 16 extending up through its middle onto which a horizontal grill plate (not shown) may be detachably connected and located over the top of the charcoal 17 for barbecuing, grilling, or otherwise cooking food. Some of the charcoal 17 has been heaped into a charcoal pile or bed 17a for purposes of illustration herein.

Charcoal lighter 10 may be operated on any suitable nozzle support member, constructed to at least partially cover charcoal pile 17a in charcoal igniting position P shown in FIG. 1. This hood 22 is preferably an annular shaped, stamped or spun, sheet metal member having generally cylindrical side walls 22a bottomed by an annular support base 22b with an annular bead, having apertures 220 in side walls 22a, and having a top cover wall 22d with apertures 22:; therein. The sheet metal of the hood is preferably copper, or copper plated steel, so that it will not easily tarnish by oxidation or soot; will be a good heat conductor so will remain generally cool at all times; and will be easy to clean after use so that it will remain an attractive article to use at outdoor barbecue parties. One or more fluid fuel burning nozzles 24 are carried by hood 22. Here are shown a plurality of nozzles 24 arcuately spaced about annular base 22b in FIGS. 1 and 2. These nozzles are sometimes called blast tips. Each nozzle 24, includes a sleeve 25 having a plurality of threaded holes, here shown as six equally arcuately spaced holes in a transverse plane, for supplying air into bore 25b to be mixed with the fluid fuel to burn as flame 27. One or more screws 26 may be screwed into, and thus block off, one or more of these holes 25a to control the quantity of air admitted so as to provide a blue flame 27, indicating complete combustion with few holes 25a blocked, or to provide a yellow flame 27, indicating incomplete combustion with more holes 25a blocked.

After the safety seal or safety valve on fuel tank 20 has been pierced, charcoal lighter 10 has conduit 30, carried by hood 22 and connected to nozzles 24, connected in fluid communication with fluid fuel source 20. Conduit 30 includes a metal tube 31 adapted to be screwed at its lower end into the top of tank 20; a flexible, rubber hose 32 telescopically connected at opposite ends over tubes 31 and 33; metal tube 33; ring-like conduit portion 34 coaxial with base 22b, located outside and above hood 22, and including a plurality of arcuate metal tubes 35 secured together by the cross bars of metal T-fittings 36; and a metal tube 37 for securing each nozzle 24 to one of these T-fittings 36. Each tube 37 has threaded portion 37a having screwed thereon two or more nuts 39 tightly straddling top wall 22d to properly locate its nozzle 24. Tubes 33, and 37; nozzles 24; and T- fittings 36 may be secured together in any suitable manner, such as by brazing or by screw threads.

The operation of charcoal lighter 10 should now be readily apparent. Fuel is supplied from source 20 to nozzles 24 by opening the safety seal diaphragm or valve in gas tank 20, securing conduit 30 to tank 20, and opening control valve 20a on tank 20. After nozzles 24 have been lit by a match to provide flame 27 to burn the fuel from source 20, each flame 27 may be adjusted to the desired condition. A blue flame 27, provided by few screws 26 in each nozzle and indicating complete combustion by an adequate air supply, will ignite charcoal pile 17a; but this flame will generally ignite only a restricted spot in the charcoal and does not quickly ignite a big area. Therefore, it is preferred that more screws be inserted to block more air holes 25a so that each flame 27 is yellow in color, indicating only partial combustion and a restricted air supply with incomplete combustion. Then, when lighter 10 is placed in charcoal igniting position P shown in FIG. 1, a secondary combustion will occur within charcoal pile 17a in combustion zone C, into which zone noules 24 are constructed and arranged to direct their flames 27. Since flames 27 from nozzles 24 are preferably aimed below the top third of charcoal pile 17a in position P in FIG. 1, a large area of charcoal will be quickly ignited by this secondary combustion occurring within the charcoal bed. Each nozzle 24 is inwardly, downwardly and radially directed through the wall of hood 22. In position P, air for combustion in combustion zone C is circulated through hood 22 by natural convection by the air being admitted through bottom apertures 22c into zone C, traveling in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 1, and exhausting through top apertures 22a to carry away the products of combustion from zone C. After charcoal lighter 10 has remained in one position P for about two and one-half minutes, the user may grip with his hands diametrically opposite sides of ringlike conduit portion 34, forming a cool handle located outside and above the walls of hood 22 surrounding the ignited charcoal pile 17a; vertically lift hood 22; rotate hood 22 about central, vertical axis A of its base 22b through about 60 degrees, which would be about half the distance between the 120 degree spacing of nozzles 24 in FIG. 2; and lower hood 22 downwardly into a new igniting position P so flames 27 now ignite a different area in charcoal pile 17a. Flexible hose 32 permits hood 22 to be moved in this manner relative to fuel source 20 even though this gas tank 20 and portable grill 12 remain stationary. After lighter 10 has remained in the new position P for about two and onehalf minutes, lighter 10 may be taken off grill 12 and valve 20:: closed. Now, one can put the grill plate on spindle 16 and immediately cook on charcoal 17 of the grill after the charcoal has been leveled and the hot charcoal embers disbursed over pan 15. Charcoal pile 17a has been quickly lighted, or ignited, over a large area so that one can cook with the hot charcoal embers soon after grill 12 has been loaded with charcoal.

Various changes in details and arrangement of parts can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from either the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A charcoal lighter, including a nozzle support member adapted to at least partially cover a charcoal pile in a charcoal igniting position, a plurality of fluid fuel burning nozzles carried by said member, a conduit carried by said member and connected to said nozzles for connecting said nozzles in fluid communication with a fluid fuel source, said nozzles being adapted to direct their flame into a combustion zone in the charcoal pile in said position, said member having apertures to admit air to the combustion zone and to carry away products of combus tion from said zone in said position, said member having an annular support base, said member carrying the aforesaid nozzles arcuately spaced about said base, said conduit including a ring-like conduit portion coaxial with said base and outside said member and having said nozzles radially inwardly directed therefrom, said conduit portion forming a cool handle for permitting vertically lifting said member by two hands and rotating it about the central vertical axis of said base to a new igniting position so as to be adapted to ignite different areas in the charcoal pile, with said member being an annular shaped, sheet metal hood having generally cylindrical side walls bottomed by said support base and having said apertures to admit air into said combustion zone formed therein, and having a top cover wall with said apertures to carry away the products of combustion from said zone formed therein so that air circulation through said hood is obtained by natural convection; said nozzles being inwardly, downwardly, and radially directed through the wall of said hood; said ring-like conduit portion being located above the walls of said hood to provide said cool handle; said conduit including a flexible hose connected to said handle and adapted to be connected to said fuel source to permit said member to be turned by said handle about the vertical axis relative to said fuel source.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 556,167 Smith Mar. 10, 1896 909,711 Thompson Jan. 12, 1909 1,581,078 Mulroy Apr. 13, 1926 1,791,565 Killam Feb. 10, 1931 2,874,655 Wolfram Feb. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 644,724 France June 18, 1928 

